For Sale: Beer, Wine, Cannabis, Chips and Candy Bars

Grab and Go Treats Made More Accessible to your Kids by both Doug Ford and Andrea Horwath

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

TORONTO—Both Doug Ford and Andrea Horwath have revealed their irresponsible plans to make beer, wine and cannabis easier for your kids to access.

Doug Ford proposes a reckless plan to expand the sale of beer and wine in convenience stores across Ontario without giving any thought to what this would mean for our most vulnerable – children and underage youth.

Unsurprisingly Doug Ford also believes the market should dictate cannabis sales. When asked about marijuana regulation he said:

“I have been open to a fair market and letting the markets dictate. I don't like the government controlling anything no matter what it is....” (CBC, March 13, 2018)

Doug Ford’s fixation on letting the ‘market decide’ and providing unfettered access to alcohol and cannabis comes at the expense of giving parents peace of mind in knowing that children and minors will be protected.

Under the NDP, Andrea Horwath would remove existing funding for cannabis safety, enforcement and education while opening stores in a haste. She said:

“I believe that if you’re going to have cannabis as a legal substance in this province that uh – people should be able to have access to it.” (December 11, 2017)

While Doug Ford’s plan to expand the sale of alcohol and cannabis next to chips and candy bars in corner stores is reckless and worrisome, Andrea Horwath doesn’t offer any consolation. Horwath would force rapid expansion of cannabis stores at the expense of safety for minors.

Only Kathleen Wynne has the right plan to keep our kids safe by investing in public awareness and education programs to keep controlled substances out of the hands of minors.